Fr. Perrone on the real prospect of serious persecution, and a petition to invoke Mother Teresa's intercession for the coming election

In the past several years a great deal has been written about the English martyrs during the time of the Protestant takeover in the sixteenth century. The reason for this abundant writing, I opine, is the ominous expectation of how things may well come about in the USA should a reign of terror descend upon the Church. We have been getting signals to help prepare us for such an eventuality for sometime now, in learning that our religious freedoms are in a threatened state. The upcoming presidential election will play a significant if not decisive role in the outcome of the social, moral and religious life of our citizens.

As many of you know, the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta is immanent. The soon-to-be-saint was often present in our country for various purposes. I will recall the reception of Mother when she founded the community of her sisters in Detroit. There was a lot of media hullabaloo at the time which, as the saying goes, rolled easily over Mother's back. She who could not help being made noticed for her humble service (the inherent irony of humility) would hardly have been impressed by the presence of the press and TV cameras. Her firm aim in establishing the community of her sisters here was thereby to mediate the presence of the compassionate Christ thirsting for the souls of the indigent and wretched underclass people in the city of Detroit.

The process of canonization is ordinarily a rather protracted one due to the complexity of gathering testimony about the proposed subject's life, the examination of all pertinent writings and correspondences, and the attendant ecclesiastical business of which I know not a single thing. Exceptions to the prolonged procedure are rare. The canonization of St. Pope John Paul II is the outstanding recent example of this, and one is soon to follow in the case of Mother Teresa. But my reason for writing about Mother's soon-to-be-realized sainthood has to do with an idea I have had.

I am inviting all of you to say a prayer to Mother Teresa every day from now until election time to beg her to intercede for the good outcome of the November election. So much is at stake for our country, for our Catholic Church, and indeed for the whole world, that it cannot be understated. Would not she who showed such compassion for the spiritual and physical welfare of so many not willingly respond to the prayers of some devout souls who beseech her on behalf of the people of the United States? A simple daily formula might take the form of three Hail Mary's (or three Memorares) with an invocation to Blessed Mother Teresa to intercede for the welfare of our country in the November elections. (Other formulas would be as good. It's not a matter of hitting upon a magical formula but of the sincerity and fervor of the one praying.)

Many of you are justly worried over the possible course of things to come. I have repeatedly asked you to stay after Mass for the daily rosary to pray "for God's mercy on our country." I know many of you pray the rosary elsewhere privately, but this communal rosary (for which a plenary indulgence may be gained) is a special uniited parish effort for Our Blessed Mother to plead our case. If you love your country, your freedoms, righteousness, and your Catholic faith, you ought not lightly to excuse yourself from the rosary and from the aforementioned prayer to Mother Teresa. As I said in a recent homily, should the dread things every come to pass it will then be too late to change course without untold sufferings (cf. the English martyrs at the time of the Reformation). In such case, what will you who have excused yourselves from these prayers say?

Yes, I'm putting moral pressure on you to pray. We have thus far lost the battle (to be unisex bathrooms and ... who can say what? I guess legal prostitution, the right to public nudity and coition, and the suppression of at least some part of Catholic faith and practice.) You may scoff at these speculations as being over-drawn, but I ask you to consider where we were only a few decades ago, how things stand now, and what's being proposed now, openly.

Kindly make for yourselves a little prayer sheet to remind you daily to offer prayer to Mother Teresa for the above-stated intention and to be faithful to the daily rosary, especially in church with your priests and your Catholic fellows.